They Move Below by Karl Drinkwater

They Move Below: & Other Dark Tales by Karl Drinkwater
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 398

Publisher - Organic Apocalypse

Blurb from Goodreads

Horror lives in the shadows.

It exists under the earth’s surface in ancient caves; below the vast sea’s undulating waves; under dense forest cover; within a storm’s thick, rolling clouds; downstairs in our homes, when we hear the knife drawer rattle in the night. Even our minds and bodies harbour the alien under the skin, the childhood nightmares in our subconscious.

In this collection of sixteen tales Karl Drinkwater sews flesh onto the bones of our worst fears whilst revisiting some of horror’s classic settings, such as the teen party, the boat in trouble, the thing in the cellar, the haunted museum, the ghost in the machine, and the urban legends that come true. No-one is safe. Darkness hides things, no matter how much we strain our eyes. And sometimes those things are looking back at us.


My Review

I never pick up short stories as a first choice, it is very rare I like them although master King is always the exception. However, I read a Drinkwater novella before, a few years ago, and as he is horror/spooky this collection fits perfectly for my October reads so I thought I would give it a whirl.

Sixteen creepy short stories that will have the hair on the back of your neck standing, holding your breath and listening out for things that go bump in the night. I didn't love all sixteen, one or two I found only ok however the majority of them left me creeped out and back to how I felt back in the days when I first read horror. I love when an author recommends or mentions another author's work within a story, he did this with Koontz and I bought the book as I want to know the rest of the tale.

I would be had pushed to pick a favourite however of the lot I think "Just Telling Stories" two 'friends' in a hotel room freaking each other with scary tales which is something we used to do as kids. And "Claws Truth Forebear" a story that will have you feeling claustrophobic whilst the characters struggle through enclosed spaces and examining the consequences of ones actions. Some of the others are quite dark too but these two stuck out for me.

Drinkwater has the knack of creating a tense and terrifying atmosphere that draws in the readers and creeps them out almost from the get go. Some of the stories are only a handful of pages long whilst others have a bit more meat. I have read this author before and I will read him again, if you like a bit of freak and a good scare this is the book for you, 4/5 for me this time.

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Surviving The Evacuation - London by Frank Tayell

London by Frank Tayell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days (on and off)

Pages - 201

Blurb from Goodreads

The outbreak started in New York. Within days the infection had spread to every corner of the world. Nowhere is safe from the undead...

Bill watched from his window as London was evacuated. His leg broken, he is unable to join the exodus. Turning to his friends in the government, he waits and hopes for rescue. As the days turn into weeks, realising inaction will lead only to starvation and death, his thoughts turn to escape.

Forced to leave the safety of his home he ventures out into the undead wasteland that once was England, where he will discover a horrific secret.

This is the first volume of his journal.



My Review

An outbreak that starts in New York soon finds its way to London. Bill is stuck in his house watching it all unfold as he is stuck indoors with a broken leg. As the chaos descends Bill knows that he will have to make a break for it if he is to survive, this story is Bills journal cataloging his journey.

As you may know, I love zombie/apocalyptic stories, this is a fairly thin read although I believe there is 7 volumes available. Bill is our main character, it is his voice and diary we follow as the events unfold and he faces the choice of staying safe indoors and starving or attempting to go out and escape where he has seen so many perish.

This is a bit different from the books I have read on this genre, it is told in diary format which isn't exactly unique however Bill has a broken leg. The outbreak is hard enough to try and survive without having a cast on and being slowed down. It builds up the tension as you feel the despair of the situation for Bill and things go quickly from bad to worse. There are a few surprises along the way and considering it is a lone voice telling the story and for the most part it is only Bill, the author manages to bring in other characters through Bills previous chats/memories and things he happens upon.

I think some people may have issue with this one because Bill has a cast on, one or two things that happen you question the validity however, it is a zombie outbreak book and I think it all works pretty well. I have already downloaded the second one of this in the series and can't wait to see what happens next, 4/5 for me and I definitely recommend it to fans of this genre.

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Review - The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Blurb from the back cover

The terror begins unobtrusively. Noises in Regan's room, an odd smell, the displacement of furniture, an icy chill. Easy explanations are offered. Then frightening changes start in the eleven-year-old girl. Medical tests shed no light on her symptoms, but it is as if a different personality has invaded the child.

Father Damien Karras, a Jesuit priest, is called in. Is it possible that a demonic force is preset in the child? Exorcism is the only answer...

My review

Well as it is Halloween what better spooky book to read than the exorcist (I have the other 2 to read next). I loved the movie but have never read the book. I have mixed reviews about it to be honest. It started fairly slow and had I not seen the movie I may have gotten bored and been tempted to just pass over it I'm glad I didn't. Once things start happening it is interesting but not terrifying or gripping as I would have expected. To be honest some parts of it seemed pointless or just there for the sake of it. However once she started exhibiting extreme signs and the priest became envolved it did pick up. I loved Merrins interaction with "Regan" and the story was pretty good from there on it, however there also opened up annoyances. Without giving too much away I would have liked to have known Merrins past in relation to this book and the hints that were dropped by was left hanging.

I will read the next two and hope it will be revisited there or get some of the answers I am looking for. Not the easiest to read but not the most challenging either, some of it boring, some of it horrific and some exciting and annoying. Also I would personally recommend seeing the movie before reading the book as it might be more cofusing if going into it blank. Definately worth a read although it wont be one of my keepers 3/5 for me.



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